Charles ii



(No Model.)

0. H. JENNE.

RAIL JOINT.

No. 467,935. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

W TJVESSES IWVEJVTOR j? (lizarleafi Jenna. 7/

Units STATES PATENT QFFICE.

OHARLE. ll. JENNE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 467,935, dated February 2, 1892.

Application filed April 8, 1890. Renewed July 2, 1891. Serial No. 398,216. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ll. JENNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rails and Rail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in devices for securing together the abutting ends of rails.

The object of the invention is to provide an effective rail-joint which shall be simple in its parts and cheap in construction, and which shall act to hold the abutting ends together and thereby preserve the perfect alignment of the rails in conjunction with the rails, which are varied somewhat in their construction for the purpose of applying the joining device.

My invention consists in a novel construction of rail-joint consisting of a splice-bar adapted to fit a correspondinglyshaped groove or depression within the bearing portion of the rails at their abutting ends, and clamping or binding bands which extend under the splice-bar, with the ends clamped over the flange of the said bearing portion, and to certain other novel features, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top or plan view of the ends of two abutting rails, showing the ends of the clamps folded over on the foot or base of the rail. Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the two abutting rails as connected bymeans of my improved rail-joint. Fig. 3 is a bottom or plan view of the rails,'disclosing to View the groove extending along the underside of the foot or bearing portion of the rail with the splice-bar clamped therein at the joint. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the end of a rail, showing the splice-barsecured in the groove of the base portion. Fig. 5 is an end view of the rail with the rail-joint applied thereto.

The rail to which my joining device is adapted to be applied is of anywell-known or desirable form, differing onlyin that the foot or bearing portion A is provided with a groove 13, either the entire length of the rail or only for a suitable distance at each end. The former construction is, however, preferred, as the cost of forming such a depression in the bottom of the bearing portion would beless than dinarily the practice, I find that by forming the ends at a slant to the length, which may be forty-five degrees, great additional strength is given to the joints and better adapts them to the use of my rail-joint. This, while being productive of the greatest strength, is simply a preferred form; but it may be equally as well used on rails having their ends cut at right angles.

The rail-joint consists of the splice-bar or fish-plate G and the clamps D, the splice-bar corresponding in form to the groove or depression within the bearing portion of the rail. This bar or plate 0 when placed within the groove of the rail will not project beyond the groove, but be snugly fitted therein and virtually making the rail at that point as it would be without such a groove.

The clamps D, which are employed for holding the splice bar U in place, are composed of suitable metal bars having their ends bent over toward each other to nearly conform on its inner face with a cross-section of the foot or hearing portion of the rail. The clamps thus formed are slipped on the foot-plate of the rail, and are held to said bearing portion by the dovetail connect-ion formed thereby. hen the abutting ends of the rails are broughtinto their proper position to be joined and the splice-bar O placed to extend across the joint and in the groove of each rail, the clamps D, which have been previously slipped on the foot of the rail, are brought to a suitable position over the bar 0 and made secure by hammering the overlapping ends of the clamp down on the upper portion of thefootpiece A, and thus the clamp is prevented from being displaced and made to complete the locking of the joint. Other wellknow11 devices can also be used for securing the splicebar in the groove, this form, however, being preferred by reason of its simplicity and cheapness in construction and the facility with which it can be applied.

the fiange of the said bearing portion, substantially as and'for the purpose set forth.

2. A railroad-rail having the ends cut or formed on a slant or incline and having a groove or depression formed in the lower or bearing portion, in combination with a splicebar adapted to fit in the groove or depres sion, and a clamp for holding the bar, sub- 7 stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. CHARLES H. JENNE. Witnesses: v

S. W. SIMS, BARTON GRIFFITH. 

